[CALV-AUXCOMM] Digital Mode Practice

[Shawn Donley]

Abe,
 
Hard to tell from your screen shots as I can't see what mode you have FLDIGI set to.  Most, but not all, digital modes you'll hear on HF are either PSK31, FT8 or RTTY.   These days, FT8 seems to dominate.   FT8 is a digital mode designed especially for working with very weak signals.  Originally, the application was moon bounce but when it became available for HF, interest took off.  For FT8, you need a different software package   https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt/
 
PSK31, while less popular than it once was, can still be found, usually on the frequencies listed below.  FLDIGI can both receive and transmit PSK31.
 
PSK31 Frequencies[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSK31#cite_note-5[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSK31#cite_note-6
Frequency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency 	Amateur Band https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_frequency_allocations
1.838 MHz 	160 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/160_meter
3.580 MHz 	80 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_meter
7.035 MHz* 	40 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_meter (region https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union#Regional_organisation 3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union#IARU_Region_3)
7.040 MHz* 	40 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_meter (regions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union#Regional_organisation 1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union#IARU_Regions_1)
7.070 MHz* 	40 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40_meter (regions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union#Regional_organisation 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union#IARU_Regions_2)
10.142 MHz 	30 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_meter
14.070 MHz 	20 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20_meter
18.097 MHz** 	17 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17-meter_band
21.080 MHz* 	15 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_meter
24.920 MHz 	12 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_meter_band
28.120 MHz 	10 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10_meter
50.290 MHz 	6 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6-meter_band
144.144 MHz 	
2 meter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_meter
 
FT8 is typically found on the frequencies shown below, but if some rare DX is operating FT8, they will typically go to a nearby frequency so as not to QRM everyone else in a pileup.  JS8Call is an FT8 varient that allows more data to be sent, like actual conversations.  FT8 is sort of a robot.  All it does it connect to a station and automatically send and receive a signal report, then disconnect.
 
Common Frequencies for FT8 & JS8Call
Band https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_spectrum#Bands 	Frequencies (MHz) 	IARU Region https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Amateur_Radio_Union
FT8 	JS8Call https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/JS8
160m 	1.840 	1.842 	All
80m 	3.573 	3.578 	All
60m 	5.357 	  	 
40m 	7.056 	  	Region 1
7.071 	  	 
7.074 	7.078 	All
30m 	10.132 	10.130 	Region 1
10.133 	  	 
10.136 	  	All
20m 	14.071 	  	 
14.074 	14.078 	All
14.090 	  	Region 1
17m 	18.100 	18.104 	All
15m 	21.074 	21.078 	All
21.091 	  	 
12m 	24.915 	24.922 	All
10m 	28.074 	28.078 	All
6m 	50.310 	  	 
50.313 	50.318 	All
50.323 	50.328 	All / Intercontinental DX https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DXing
 
RTTY or radio teletype, has been around for decades but is still used.   FLDIGI can receive and transmit it, but there are a flock of other software programs as well like MMTTY.
 
RTTY is typically found on the frequencies shown in the link below.
 
https://www.aa5au.com/rtty/rtty-sub-bands/
 
Finally, sometimes you can identify the digital mode being used by its characteristics on the waterfall or by ear.  See:
 
https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide
 
73
N3AE